What is the Latin word for mask?

The usual Latin words for “mask” are persōna, lārva, simulātiō; also speciēs, tegō, occultō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“mask” in Latin

persōnamask; character, personage, role; personality, character, individuality lārvaspooky ghost, haunt, evil spirit, terror; horrific mask; banquet ghost: a skeleton doll with movable joints seated at th simulātiōfeigning, shamming, pretence, feint; insincerity, deceit, hypocrisy; simulation speciēsseeing, view, look; spectacle, sight; external appearance, looks; general outline or shape tegōto cover; to clothe; to conceal, hide, protect occultōto conceal, hide personōto sound through and through, resound, ring; to make a sound on a musical instrument, play, sound; to fill with sound, m

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

mask

persona (the whole mask, adapted for strengthening the voice; drawn over the head): larva (an ugly mask, such as the ancients used at funerals; and in pantomimes; Vid: Hor., Sat., 1, 5, 64): homo personatus (a masked person; ☞ never persona in classical writers): figuratively, simulatio, species (pretence, false appearance): to put a mask on anyone, personam alicui aptare, or alicujus capiti imponere, or alicujus capiti adjicere (PROP.): to assume a mask, personam sibi accommodare or sibi aptare, personam induere, *larvam sibi accommodare or aptare (PROP.), alienam personam sibi accommodare (figuratively, to play a strange part; after Liv., 3, 36): to wear a mask, alienam personam ferre (not to appear in one’s true character, Liv., loc. cit.): to assume the mask of anything (figuratively), speciem or simulationem alicujus or alicujus rei induere; simulare aliquid (to feign, pretend): to drop or lay aside a mask, personam deponere (PROP. and figuratively): simulationem deponere (figuratively): Appius now laid, aside the mask, ille finis Appio alienae personae ferendae (Liv., 3, 36): to pull the mask off anyone, alicui personam demere, alicujus capiti personam detrahere (PROP. and figuratively); alicui or rei personam demere et reddere faciem suam (figuratively, to show a person or thing in its true colors; Vid: Sen., Ep., 24, 12): evolvere aliquem integumentis dissimulationis nudareque (figuratively, to make manifest one’s dissimulation, Cic., De Or., 2, 86, in.): alicujus animum nudare (figuratively, to discover the disposition of anyone; after Liv., 34, 24, extr.): to betray under the mask of friendship, aliquem per simulationem amicitiae prodere: to deceive under the mask of honor, aliquem per fidem fallere, decipere, circumvenire.

mask v.

PROP. To cover with a mask, personam capiti alicujus adjicere (Plin.); persona tegere, occultare aliquem: masked, personatus (Cic.).

Figuratively. To conceal, tegere, occultare, abscondere aliquid (Cic.).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for mask?: The usual Latin words for “mask” are persōna, lārva, simulātiō; also speciēs, tegō, occultō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.